Coal spray oil



I also an object of my invention to provide coal Patented Aug. 28, 1945 CUAL SPRAY H1 Worth Gray, Wheaten, llli, assignor to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, lit, a corporation oi lindiana No Drawing. Application Qctober is, i038; Serial No. 235,629

ll Claims.

slacking. This degradation is caused partly by the escape of moisture from the coal and partly by the oxidation of mineral material, particularly iron sulfide, contained in'the cleavage veins of coal and similar fuels. Another important problem is that of dusting caused by mechanical abrasion. All of these phenomena are highly undesir-- able from the standpoint of the ultimate user and result as well in loss of valuable fuel.

It is an object of my invention to provide new and improved coal spray compositions which will prevent these degradation phenomena to a greaterdegree than has heretofore been the case. Another object of my invention is to provide coal spray materials which will prevent degradation and at the same time give a fuel which is free from undesirable staining characteristics. A further object of my invention is to provide coal spray compositions which will accomplish a given degree of dust proofing with a smaller amount of material than has heretofore been necessary. A

still further object of my invention is to provide coal spray materials which will form uniform films on lump fuels even when not initially applied to the entire surface ,of such fuels. It is spray methods having the advantages enumerated. A further object of my invention is to provide improved treated lump fuels. Other and more detailed objects, advanta res and uses of my invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

In brief my invention contemplates the use of solvent extracts and compositions containing solvent extracts for treating solid carbonaceous lump fuels. Many processes for the solvent extraction of petroleum oils are known. Selective I solvents such as Chlorex (beta beta dichlor diethyl ether), phenol, cresol, furfural, nitrobenzene, chloraniline, chlorphenol, sulfur dioxide and solvent mixtures containing one or more of these solvents are used to extract aromatic 0r polynuclear naphthenic compounds from petroleum materials, particularly lubricating oil stocks, leaving undissolved material of a mononuclear naphthenic or relatively pa'rafflnic nature. In

remainder being blending oil.

(6i. di -6) the case of lubricating oil extraction the undissolved fraction or raffinate is a greatly improved lubricant. extracts are in general of practically no value a g bricants and have heretofore been considered eo'be undesirable by-products.

I have found, however, that such solvent extracts and particularly extracts obtained in the manufacture cf-relatively lght lubricating oils such as S. A. E. lubricating oils are of exremely great value in coal spray compositions, since they reduce dusting and similar degradation to a greater exterit than do compositions heretofore known. Moreover, they form a uniform film on the'treated coal or similar material even when the coal is not initially entirely covered by the sprayed composition. Still further, these materials give a treated coal which does not stain floors and pavements as do some of the prior art compositions.

My coal spray compositions can contain from 15% to 100% of lubricating oil solvent extract and from 0 to 85% of blending oil. Preferably. however, they contain from about to about of the lubricating oil solvent extract, the The blending oil used is preferably a petroleum product having a viscosity of from about 50 to about 150 seconds Saybolt at F. although somewhat more viscous blending oils can be used when arviscose product is desired. This blending oil can be a light lubricating oil, preferably a wax distillate. However, other mineral oil fractions within the viscosity range specified can be used, for instance cracking still cycle stocks. If a wax distillate is used in large amount in-a composition applied'by a spraying apparatus which does not provide for operation at temperatures somewhat above atmospheric, it is necessary to incorporate a pour point depressor; for instance a portion of the blending oil can be replaced by an asphaltic residuum to the extent of from about 10% to about 25% of the total composition to reduce the pour point but the efficiency of the coal'spray material decreases and the asphaltic residuum causes increased staining. It is therefore mucli better to avoid the use of asphaltic residuumby the use of elevated spraying temperatures.

The coal spray product as a whole should have a viscosity of at least about seconds Saybolt at 100 F. and may have a viscosity up to about 1200 seconds Saybolt at 100 F. but' it is obvious that if compositions are used having viscosities in the upoer part of this range provision must be made for relatively high temperature spraying.

As previously indicated, the lubricating oil sol- 'ufacture of S. A. E. 20

' the material of vent extract can suitably be that from the manoil, particularly as manufactured from Mid-Continent crude although solvent extracts from other types of lubricating oil stocks can be used. The extract can suitably have a viscosity from about'500 to about 1000 seconds Saybolt at 100 F. but extracts of different viscosities can be used so long as the final product has a viscosity within the range mentioned in the preceding paragraph, for instance extract from the manufacture of S. A. E. 50 oil having a viscosity as high as 550 seconds Saybolt at 210 F. can be used.

The following are examples of coal spray compositions in accordance with my invention:,

Example Viscosity in seconds Saybolt at In these examples the solvent extract can suitably be a Chlorex extract produced as a by-product from the manufacture of S. A. E. 20 lubricating oil from Mid-Continent crude and the blending oil can suitably be a wax distillate having a viscosity of 100 seconds Saybolt at 100 F'., the two being blended to give a viscosity as indicated in the table. The reason for the different compositions of Examples 1 and 2 which have the same viscosity is that the solvent extract used in Example 1 had a slightly higher viscosity than that used in Example The superiority of these products can be dem-- onstrated by dust chamber experiments of the type used by the Battelle Memorial Institute. By this methoda dustiness index is obtained which is the number of grams of fine and intermediate dust obtained Der ton of coal under standardized conditions. In this method a 50 pound sample of coal is supported at the top of a tall dust chamber, allowed to drop to the bottom and five seconds later standardized levels to catch the dust suspended in the chamber. This dust is collected and weighed and the weight is multiplied by 40 to obtain the dustiness index in grams per ton.

Using a coal spray material in accordance with Example 2 in quantities of 2.38 gallons per ton of coal, the dustiness index was found to be 29. This compares with a dustiness index of 118 for a coal spray oil of approximately the same viscosity (165 seconds Saybolt at 100 F.) in nearly the same amount (2.25 gallons per ton). It also compares a mixture of 40% crude scale wax and 60% lubricating oil distillate, the blend having a viscosity of 85 to 100 seconds Saybolt at 100 F. used in a quantity of 2.18 gallons per ton. terial which was found to be next best to the Chlorex extract type of material was petrolatum tailings conta ning paraflin wax, petrolatum wax and oil, the viscositybeing 150 seconds Saybolt at 100 F. and this material had a dustiness index of 63 as compared with an index or 29 for Example 2.

While dust chamber experiments have not been made onmaterials of higher solvent extract content, the results of other work indicate conclusively that higher solvent extract contents give still better results.

slides are introduced at- Thus, for example, the materials of Examples 1 and 3 have both been sold and used'commercially in large quantities (a total of about 100,000 tons of coal has already been treated). In commercial use it has been found with one particular type of Illinois egg coal when spraying with a Mid-Continent mineral oil having a viscosity of 165 seconds Saybolt at 100 F., there was formed in each car of coal during shipment from mine to coal yard a total amount of dust and screenings between 1500 and 3000 pounds per '40 to 50 ton car. This amount of degradation product was shipper had to give the the material of Example 1 was substituted for the straight mineral oil type of coal spray material and used in similar amounts, the degradation products were reduced to a maximum of 500 to the material of Example 3 containing a larger amount of solvent extract, it was found that degradation could be substantially completely eliminated.

Not only are these compositions useful on coals which respond reasonably well to prior art coal spray materials but they can also be used very effectively on materials such as Iowa coal which is very high in both moisture and iron sulfide content and which has hitherto been an unsatisfactory fuel, even when sprayed, due to excessive degradation. Moreover, my compositions can be used much more effectively than straight mineral oils and wax-containing mineral oils for the treatment of stoker coalan extremely difficult type of coal to treat effectively.

As previously indicated, I prefer to use the solvent extract alone or in a blend with mineral oil but it can likewise be used very effectively in aqueous emulsions. Thus the solvent extract can be emulsified in water by the use of soaps and other known emulsifying agents and this can be sprayed on the coal.

In either event the amount of oily material sprayed can suitably range from about to about 5 gallons per ton of fuel and the temperature'used in the spraying operation can be atmospheric temperature or a temperature slightly above that at which the particular composition used is difllcult to handle. With compositions such as that of Examples 1 and 2 no heating is necessary under prevailing summer temperatures while with a material containing larger amounts of solvent extract somewhat elevated tempera- '-'-*"extracts but Lhelieve with a dustiness index of 285 for tures are necessary.

I am not fully aware of the correct explanation for the peculiar effectiveness of coal spray compositions containing lubricating oil solvent this is due at least in part to the fact that the solvent extract leaves a viscous and highly tenacious film on the surface of the coal or other solid carbonaceous lump fuel which prevents moisture loss and oxidation.

creep along the surface of the fuel,

phenomenon, and complete coverage is obtained even if the original coverage in the spraying operation 'is only from 50 to 75% of. the total coverage of the fuel. The result of this is that asmaller amount of material can be used than has heretofore been thought necessary to achieve a given dust proofing efiect.

Another use for the compositions of my invention is in spraying the interiors of'cars used in pounds per car. By going cars in winter weather freezes to the cars so that they cannot be dumped efiectively. My compositions are particularly advantageous in this connection since they adhere to the cars much better than does straight mineral oil but not so tenaciously as to render the cars slippery and more or less permanently hazardous. They make it possible to dump the coal or other lump carbonaceous i uel readily but are largely removed by the falling fuel so that the cars are not left in an unsafe condition as they would be if a mixture of oil and asphalt were used.

These compositions of matter are also effective rfor coating concrete forms prior to pouring the concrete and serve to prevent the concrete from sticking to the form.

While I have-described my invention in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that these are by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and I do not mean to be bound thereby but only to the scope of the appended claims which should be construed. as broadly as the prior art will perinit.

I claim:

1. A spraying composition comprising from about 25% to about 80% of a lubricating oil 501- vent extract together with a blending oil having a viscosity of at least about 50 seconds Saybolt at 100 F., said composition having a-viscosity of from about 150 to about 1200 seconds Saybolt at 100 F.

2. A spraying composition comprising at least about 25% of a lubricating oil solvent extract together with a substantial amount of a blending oil having a viscosity of from about 50 to about 150 seconds Saybolt at 100 F., said composition having a viscosity of from about 100 to about 1200 seconds Saybolt at 100 F.

3. A method of dust proofing a solid carbonaceous lump fuel which comprises applying thereto a composition containing at least about 25% of a lubricating oil solvent extract together with a blending oil having a viscosity of from about 50 to about 150 seconds Saybolt at 100 F., said composition having aviscosity of from about 150,

to about 1200 seconds at 100 F.

4. A method of dust proofing a, solid carbonaceous lump fuel which comprises applying thereto a composition having a viscosity of from about 150 to about 1200 seconds Saybolt at 100 F. containing from about 25% to about 85% of a, lubricating oil solvent extract and from about 15% to about 75% of a blending oil having a. viscosity of from about 50 to about 150 seconds Saybolt at 100' I".

5. A coal spray oil composition comprising at least 25% of a heavy solvent extract of a ,oetroelum lubricating oil dissolved in a relatively less viscous solvent petroleum oil,- said solvent oil being in quantity sufiicient to lower the viscosity of the I blend to sprayable consistency.

6. A coal spray oil composition consisting substantially of a major constituent, namely a heavy solvent extract of a petroleum lubricating oil, dissolved in a minor constituent, namely a relatively less viscous solvent petroleum oil, said solvent petroleum oil being in quantity sumcient to lower .the viscosity of the blend to sprayable consistency.

7. A coal spraying composition consisting essentially of a lubricating oil solvent extract as the major constituent and a blending oil having a viscosity of at least about 50 seconds Saylbolt at F., said composition having a viscosity of from about to about 1200 seconds Saybolt Universal at 100 F. a

8. A method of dust proofing a solid carbonaceous lump fuel which comprises applying thereto a composition consisting essentially of a lubrieating oil solvent extract as the major constituent and a blending oil having a viscosity of from about 50 to about 150 seconds Saybolt Universal at 100 F., said composition having a viscosity of from about 150 to about 1200 seconds Saybolt at 10. A spraying composition consisting essential- I 1y of at least about 25% of a lubricating oil solvent extract and a relatively less viscous solvent petroleum oil, said solvent petroleum oil being used in an: amount sufiicint to form a composition having a Saybolt Universal viscosity at 100 F., of from about 100 to 1200 seconds.

11. A coal spray oil composition consisting substantially of a major constituent, namely a heavy solvent extract of a petroleum lubricating oil dissolved in a minor constituent, namely a relatively less viscous solvent petroleum oil, said solvent petroleum oil being used in an amount sufllcient to form a composition having a Say-bolt Universai viscosity at 100 F. of from about 100 seconds to about 1200 seconds.

1 WORTH GRAY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

7 Patent No. 2,5855% August 28, 1945.

NORTH GRAY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the abox enumbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5', first column, line h9, claim 5, after the word "seconds" insert -Saybolt--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this L th day of December, A. D. I 9LL5. Leslie Frazer (Seal) First Assistant Commissioner of Patents 6 

